Tapestry-printing machine.



No. 773,461. PATENTED 001125, 1904. W. P. BENHAM & J. K. WILLIAMSON.TAPESTRY PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1904. N0 MODEL- 4SHEETSSHEET 1.

No. 773,461. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904. W. P. BENHAM & J. K. WILLIAMSON.

TAPESTRY PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1804.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

W my

No. 773,461. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904. W. P. BBNHAM & J. K. WILLIAMSON.TAPESTRY PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATIPIT FILED APR. 5, 1904.. N0 MODEL. v

4 SHEETS-SEEET 3 N0.7v3,4e1. PATENTED 001 .25, 1904.

W. P. BBNHAM & J. K. WILLIAMSON.

TAPES-TRY PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOIT FILED APR. 5.1904. no MODEL. v 4SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 190 Q.

PATENT. OFFICE.

WALTER P. BENHAM AND JOHN K. WILLIAMSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TAPESTRY-PRINTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,461, dated October25, 1904. Application filed April 5, 1904. SerialNo. 201,780. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, IVALTER P. BENHAM and JOHN K. VVILLIAMsoN, residingin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements inTapestry Printing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a machine by which it shall bepossible to print a greater length of warp than has hitherto beenpossible upon a drum of a given size, or, what is the samething, toreduce the size of the drum necessary for the support of the warp for agiven length of tapestry while the same is being printed.

It is further desired to provide a novel combination of mechanism forwinding yarn upon a drum in such manner that it shall be possible toprint at a single operation the yarn necessary for a piece of goods ofgreater length than has been conveniently done hitherto. In order to sodispose a-warp upon a drum that it shall be possible to print it asindicated, it is our object to provide means for laying the yarn of saidwarp back and forth upon said drum.

These objects we attain, as hereinafter set forth, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which--- Figure 1 is a front elevationof our improved machine, showing certain of the devices for governingthe winding of yarn upon the drum. Fig. 2 is a plan view of our machine,further illustrating the detail construction of the yarnwindingmechanism. Fig. 3 isan enlarged end elevation of a portion of themechanism for causing the yarn to be caught on the hooks or catches bywhich it is retained in position on the drum. Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation showing the detail construction of one form of mechanicalmovement for oscillating the drum. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevationof the ratchet mechanism for feeding the guide bar or bars so as todistribute successive strands of yarn uniformly alongside of one anotheron the drum. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the mechanism foroscillating the yarn-guiding bar, and Fig. 7 is an end elevation of themechanism shown in Fig. 6.

In preparing for printing the warp from which tapestry, &c., of variouskinds is made it has hitherto been customary to wind. upon a drum acontinuous length of yarn in the same direction, and the length of thepiece of goods which could be made up from any particular warp dependedaltogether upon'the length of the circumference of the drum employed. Itwill be readily understood, therefore, that in order to print warps forrelatively long pieces of tapestry it was necessary to provideexceedingly largedrums, which were both costly to manufacture and ofsuch size as to occupy valuable floor-space, besides being unwieldy tooperate.

By our invention we provide means for winding one or any practicalnumber of warps upon a drum in such manner that the piece or pieces ofgoods resulting from the same may be made of any length up to onepractically double that of the circumference of the drum upon which itis wound.

In the above drawings, A is the supportingframework of the machine,provided with bearings a, suitably placed for the reception of thedrum-supporting shaft 5. In the present instance the drum B is carriedby said shaft so as to be revoluble within the frame,

and the shaft is driven from a shaft cl, supported at right anglesthereto in bearings carried on brackets 64, projecting from the frame A,there being beveled gear-wheels Z) and d, by which said shafts areoperatixel-yconnected. There is interposed between said shaft cl and ashaft D, driven from any desired source of power, some form of reversingmechanism by which the shaft 6, and consequently the drum supportedthereby, may be. turned through any desired arc and then turned backwardthrough the same arc, after which it is again reversed, and so on. Inorder to accomplish this, we employ in the present inrying the length ofthis curved rack it is possible to correspondingly vary the arc ofoscillation of the drum.

Formed from centers practically coincident with the ends of the rack aretwo curved guides d", and there is a pinion (Z on the shaft d, placed toengage either face of the rack (Z and be directed around the ends of thesame by the guides a. In order to permit of the said pinion passingaround the ends of therack, as well as to permit of its engagement witheither side of the same, we connect the shaft (Z to the shaft 1) througha universal connection cl and support said shaft cl at a point near thepinion (F in a sliding bearing (Z movable in a suitably-formed portionof one of the brackets a.

It will be seen that in the drawings we have illustrated a drum providedwith four sets of mechanism for simultaneously winding four warps uponthe drum, and although in the description hereinafter we shall refermore particularly to but one of these sets of mechanism it is immaterialhow many of these sets are employed, since their use is merely a matterof duplication of apparatus and suitable design of the drum and frame.

For each warp to be wound there are two hooks or catches b and 5 formed,preferably of rods supported at one end so as to overhang and extendparallel with the face of the drum. In the case illustrated said catchesare shown as supported upon, slidable bands 6*, extending across theface of the drum and movable toward and from each other thereupon tosuit the length of warp which it is desired to print.

Upon a cross-bar a of the frame, extending parallel with and adjacent tothe face of the drum B, we support a feed-screw C, and there is a bar 0attached to a threaded nut 0, movable on said screw, which carries foreach warp under treatment a projecting arm 0 near whose ends are placedtwo hooks c and 0', each having a spherical or blunt end 0' This screw Ois fixed to or formed integral with a spindle 0, carrying aratchet-wheel 0 engaged by two pawls 0 and 0, connected to apivotally-supported bar or arm 0 There are projecting from the side ofthe drum B two pins 6 and I), so placed as to alternately engage the arm0 and turn it first in one direction and then in the opposite directionupon its pivot. For example, when the drum has been oscillated farenough to bring the pin 0 under the arm 0 this latter will be raised,and since the pawl 0 is positively engaged with the tooth of theratchetwheel 0 said wheel will be turned through a certain arc, whilewhen the drum B is oscillated in a reverse direction the pin 6 willstrike the upper surface of the arm 0 to move it downwardly. Such motioncauses the pawl c" to move the wheel 0 while the pawl 0 simply slipsover the teeth into its original position, ready for another upwardmovement of the arm 0 By this means the nut c, with its attached parts,is periodically .moved forward across the face of the drum.

It will be seen that the bar 0 is provided with a bearing o at the sideof the frame most distant from the screw C and carries on its end acam-bar 0 for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

In addition to the bar 0 there is extending substantially parallel tothe axis, and consequently to the face of the drum B, alongitudinally-movable bar E, carried in bearings a and e and havingfixed to it a collar 6 for each separate body of warp under treatment.From this collar projects an arm having at its end one or more (in thepresent instance two) open spiral guides a for the strand of yarn undertreatment. Said bar under the action of a spring 6 normally tends toremain in such a position that each of its arms a is adjacent to thesupported end of its respective catches and if, said spring beingconnected between the bearing 0 and one of the collars e Said bar E alsocarries at one end a projecting-pin a, which is engaged by one arm of alever F, pivoted to the bracket a, as shown in Fig. 2.

There is on one end of the drum a segmental cam 6 upon which bears aroller f on the end of a bar f, attached to the second arm of the leverF. A spring f retains said bar in engagement with the cam or with theend b of the drum, as the case may be, so that when the lever F isturned on its pivot by the action of said cam upon the rod f the bar Ewill be moved longitudinally, so as to compress the spring 0 From Figs.1 and 2 it will be seen that there is pivoted to the side of the frame Aa lever G, provided with one armplaced to engage a beveled projection orcam 0 on the bar E and having another arm placed to engage an arm of thelever F-adjacent to its point of engagement with the pin a. When,therefore, the bar E is moved longitudinally by the engagement of thepin 0 with the lever F, the beveled surface or cam (3 will act upon onearm of the lever G, so as to turn this latter on its pivot. Such turningwill cause the other arm of said lever to push upwardly the arm of thelever F and cause it to disengage the pin 6 said arm being made, ifdesired, in two sections hinged together, as indicated at Thisdisengagement of the pin a from the lever F permits the bar E to movelongitudinally under the action of the spring 6 and since the pin a hasan inclined upper surface when the drum B is turned so that the cam b nolonger forces out the rod f the lever F will slip over the pin a, so asto engage the same, and will again move the rod E when the cam 6 causesmovement of said lever F.

A tension device is employed with each individual winding mechanism,which is constructsixty degrees.

ed, as shown in detail in Fig. 3, so as to take up whatever slack mayexist from time to time in the yarn. This device consists of a bar H,pivoted to one of the members of the frame A and carrying at its end apair of guides h and a pair of disks it, between which the yarn passesand which are pressed together by a spring 7L2, carried upon the bolt72. in which said disks are supported.

In addition to the above there are two other guides, 71* and if, on theframe and also some suitable device for supporting bobbins or balls ofyarn J. c

IVe further provide means for oscillating the bar E to a limited extentand for this purpose employ a projecting arm a fastened upon said baradjacent to an inclined cam-arm 0, carried on the bar 0. This cam-arm isso bent that when it engages the arm a the bar E is caused to turnthrough an angle of about In order to return said bar to its originalposition after such turning, we provide a collar fastened to the shaftE, having an arm 6 placed to engage with a projection 0 on the frame ofthe machine. This arm a is inclined at an angle to the line of the shaftE, so that as said shaft is moved longitudinally it engages theprojection 0 and turns the shaft through an angle equal to but oppositeto that through which said bar was turned by the action of the parts 6and 0 Under operating conditions the turning of the shaft D by the belt(Z causes-the drum B to be oscillated alternately in opposite directionsthrough an angle which in the present bobbin through the guide if to thetension device, through the guide it on the frame, and through theguides 0* on the arm 6 In the beginning of the operation the end of theyarn is led from the second of the guides 6* and fastened to one of thecatches, as 6 at a point adjacent to its supported end. The variouspieces of apparatus are so timed that when the winding is started thebar E is in its normal position with the spring 6 not compressed and theroller fof the rod f hearing upon the plane portion of the end I) of thedrum B. Under these conditions the collar e and the arm 6* will be inthe positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, while the warp willpass around one of the books, 0*, on the arm 0 the tension exerted bythe part It being so adjusted that the pivoted arm H position shown infull lines in Fig. 3, and after 7 ithas passed beyond the line of theends of the catches b and b said bar E is turned by the engagement ofthe part c with the cam-arm 0 so that the guide-holding end of said arm0 is moved inwardly toward the surface of the drum. By the time thisinward motion has brought the yarn nearer the surface of the drum thanis the end of the catch 6 as shown in Fig. 3, the inclined cam-surface ein the bar E has turned the lever G on its pivot sufliciently to freethe pin 0 from the lever F. It will be understood that just before thisrelease takes place the drum has reached such a position that the catch6 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the longitudinal motion of thebar E under the action of the spring 0 therefore loops the yarn over theend of said catch. Immediately thereafter the mechanism shown in Fig. A}reverses the direction of the rotation of the drum B, so that it movesin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, laying a strand of yarnalongside of and parallel with the strand previously laid. The amount ofmotion of the arm 0 and the collar 0, carrying the same, necessary toavoid bringing two successive strandsupon each other is obtained by thetaking place the inclined arm a of said bar is brought into engagementwith the projection e carried by the frame, so that said bar is turnedback to its original position. Any

slack in the yarn, which may occur by reason of the consequent recedingof the arm a from the surface of the drum, is at once taken up by thepivoted arm H, which automatically turns so as to maintain the tensionconstant. As the revolution of the drum continues the second strand ofyarn is laid alongside of that previously placed until as the catch 6comes around the barE is again moved so that said strand is led inwardlyand finally looped over the end of said catch just as the direction ofrotation of the drum is again reversed. After the drum has been wound sothat its entire available space is filled with the warp this latter ispainted or printed in the well-known manner, after which it is removedfrom the catches and employed in looms for the manufacture of tapestry.

It will be seen that there is available for weaving a length of warpdouble the distance around the drum between the catches instead ofmerely alength equal to the circumference of the drum.

While we show in the drawings herewith a drum provided with four sets ofwinding and looping mechanism, it will be understood that there ispractically no limit to the number of sets of such mechanism which maybe used with a single drum except that imposed by the matter ofconvenience and strength of the materials employed. It willv be furtherunderstood that any periodical reversing mechanism may be substitutedfor the reversing mechanism employed, as it is immaterial as to how therevolution of the drum is reversed, so that it occurs at predeterminedpoints. Again, while we prefer to use the particular form of loopingmechanism illustratech'it will be understood that other devices may beemployed for placing the yarn upon the hooks or catches 5 and b at theend of each oscillation of the drum.

Should it be desired to wind a warp of less length than that illustratedin the drawings above shown, it will be understood that the pieces 7fupon the drum can be adjusted as desired so as to vary thecircumferential distance between them. In such a case the double-facedrack would be made of such a length to properly reverse the rotation ofthe drum at the time when the yarn is looped upon the catches.

It is to be understood that while we have shown our invention as appliedto a revoluble drum upon which is wound the yarn to be printed it ispossible that other devices may be employed to support the yarn whichwould come within the scope of our invention, it being intended that ourinvention shall cover, broadly, any means for winding a body of yarnback andv forth upon a suitable support ing structure for the purpose ofprinting the same.

e claim as our invention 1. In a tapestry-printing machine thecombination of a drum for yarn, yarn-holdingdevices or sets of devicesthereon, with means for turning the drum and mechanism for causing theyarn to engage with said holding devices, substantially as described.

2. The combination of adruni for yarn,with

. mechanism for winding yarn circumferentially back and forth on thedrum and means for holding the yarn in position, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a d rum,yarnholding devices carried thereby, meansfor oscillating the drum and mechanism for delivering yarn to the drumand placing it in engagement with the holding devices as the drum isoscillated, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a drum, catches carried by the same, means foroscillating the drum and a device for winding yarn back and forth on thedrum and placing it in engagement with said catches as the drum isoscillated, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a tapestry-printing machine of a drum, means foroscillating the same, means for laying back and forth upon said drum awarp to be printed and means for holding said warp in place,substantially as described.

6. The combination of a drum, means for rotating the same, means forperiodically reversing such rotation, yarn-holding devices on the drum,with a bar having operating means for causing yarn guided thereby to bebrought into engagement with said holding devices on the drum,substantially as described.

7. The combination of a drum, means for rotating and periodicallyreversing the same, two catches on the drum, with a yarn'carrying barhaving operating means to cause it to loop yarn over one of said catchesat the time of the reversal of the drum, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a frame, a drum, means for rotating andperiodically reversing the drum, yarn-holding means on the drum, a barcarried on the frame having means for guiding yarn and means for movingthe bar longitudinallyito cause it to place the yarn in engagement withthe holding devices on the drum, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a frame, a drum, means for rotating andperiodically reversing the drum, yarn-holding means on the drum, a baron the frame, with mechanism for moving said bar longitudinally andaxially to cause yarn to be brought into engagement with the yarn-holding devices, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a frame, a drum, means for rotating andperiodically reversing the drum, catches on said drum having overhungends with mechanism on the frame for looping a strand of yarn over oneof said catches each time the rotation of the drum is reversed,substantially as described.

11. The combination of a drum, means for rotating and periodicallyreversing the drum, catches adjustably carried upon the surface of thedrum and means for placing a strand of yarn in engagement with one ofsaid catches each time the rotation of the drum is reversed,substantially described.

12. The combination of a frame, a drum, means for rotating andieriodically reversing the same, yarn-holding devices carried upon thesurface of the drum, a bar on the frame, means for moving said bar tocause it to place yarn in engagement with one of the holding devices ateach reversal of the drum and means for causing successive strands ofyarn to lie parallel upon the face of the drum, substantially asdescribed.

13. The combination of a drum, means for rotating and periodicallyreversing the same, a pair of yarn-holding devices thereon, an arm forguiding yarn to the drum, a second arm engaging the yarn before itpasses to the first arm and means for moving said second arm to cause itto place a strand of yarn successively in engagement with the saidholding devices, substantially as described.

14:. The combination of a drum, means for rotating and reversing thesame, yarn-holding devices on the drum, an arm having mechan ism formoving it toward the surface of the drum and means for moving said armacross the face of the drum to cause it to bring a strand of yarn intoengagement with said holding devices, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a drum, means for rotating and periodicallyreversing the same, two rods upon the drum supported so as to overhangthe surface of the same, an arm having mechanism for moving it towardthe face of the drum and means for moving it parallel with said face soas to loop yarn alternately upon said overhung rods, substantially asdescribed.

16. The combination of a drum, means for rotating and periodicallyreversing the same, two rods upon the drum supported so as to overhangthe surface of the same, an arm having mechanism for moving it towardthe face of thedrum and means for moving it parallel with said face soas to loop yarn alternately upon said overhung rods, with means forcausing successive windings of yarn to be placed parallel to each other,substantially as described.

17. The combination of a drum having driving and reversing mechanism,yarn-holding devices on the drum, a cam, a yarn-carrying bar operatedtherefrom so as to move across the face of the drum and mechanism formoving said bar toward the drum, substantially as described.

18. The combination of a drum having driving and reversing mechanism,yarn-holding devices on said drum, a yarn-carrying arm having a cam formoving it in one direction across the face of the drum and a spring formoving it in a reverse direction, with mechanism for turning said bareach time the drum is reversed, substantially as described.

19. The combination of a drum, means for driving and reversing the same,means on the drum for holding yarn, mechanism for placing yarn inengagement with said holding means and means for maintaining asubstantially constant tension on the yarn, substantially as described.

20. The combination of a drum, with mechanism for simultaneously windinga plurality of strands of yarn circumferentially back and forth uponsaid drum and means for retaining said strands in position,substantially as described.

21. The combination of a drum, with mechanism for simultaneously windinga plurality of strands of yarn back and forth upon the same, means forretaining the yarn on said drum and means for causing each winding ofyarn to be laid alongside of the winding pre viously laid, substantiallyas described.

22. The combination of a drum, a plurality of sets of yarn-holdingdevices thereon, means for driving and reversing the drum, a bar havinga plurality of yarn-carrying arms, with means for moving said barlongitudinally and means for oscillating it, substantially as described.

23. The combination of a rotatable yarnsupporting structure havingyarn-holding devices, means for driving and periodically reversing thedirection of rotation of said structure, with mechanism for causing yarnto be engaged by one of said holding devices each time the direction ofrotation of the yarn-supporting structure is reversed, substantially asdescribed.

24. The combination of asuppor't for a body of yarn, with automaticlaying mechanism for placing said yarn back and forth upon said supportin a single layer and means for holding the yarn in position thereon,substantially as described.

25. The combination of a supporting structure, catches carried by thesame, means for moving the structure and a device for winding yarn backand forth upon said structure and placing it in engagement with the saidcatches as the support is moved, substantially WALTER P. BENHAM. JOHN K.WILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, Jos. H. KLEIN.

